May 28, 2015

This
sweet little vintage table was a hand-me-down from my in-laws. I had spray painted it a few years ago, but
now I felt it needed some love. With the help of owner, designer Deborah Waltz of Peinture Studios, I was able to transform this little table into a lovely heirloom piece that feels right at home in my living room. Deborah suggested a combination of chalk paint, 2 kinds of soft wax, gorgeous gilding wax and new Annie Sloan stencils, and gave me great pointers to on how to complete my project.

I
love a little paint project, but I especially love the instant gratification
you get by updating a piece of furniture with paint. No paint is easier to use than Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It requires no sanding so
you can skip all that prep work and just get right into painting.

We
chose to start with Old White as the base.
Deborah has a fabulous display wall in her studio that features every
color of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, each on a unique vintage chair. The chairs are hung up on the wall by rope in
a really creative display. It’s a great
visual to actually see what the color looks like on a piece of furniture.

We
stepped into the workshop of Peinture Studios to assess my table and what fun
techniques I could use on it to enhance pretty shape of the table. Deborah teaches beginner and advanced classes
here in her workshop several times a month.

To
start, Deborah suggested I place the piece upside down. That way all the surfaces would be covered,
and I could finish off painting it right-side up to get a nice clean look on
the top of my table, which is the most visible. Here‘s the table back at home, with its first
coat of Old White. (It took two coats to
evenly paint the piece. The paint dries
quickly, so I was able to work fast.)

Next,
I applied the Annie Sloan clear soft wax on the entire table. I then went in and accentuated all the
grooves of the table with the dark wax. All
I needed was just a little in the cracks and then it was rubbed off immediately
with a soft cloth. A little of the
colored wax goes a long way. If too much
is applied, it can be removed with clear wax. This tip from Deborah was really important, because it’s really fun to
play with the different depths of color, and too much can be easily removed
with this method. Using painters tape, I
positioned the first stencil in place, the nymph. With a really soft touch of my finger and a small stencil
brush, I applied the beautiful brass colored gilding wax within the stencil,
being careful not to glop too much on near the edges. I did the same with the branches
stencil. (I immediately washed my hands
after applying the wax.)

The
branches stencil was pretty intricate, so I found that using a Q-tip dipped in clear
wax easily removed any excess gilding wax that was not within the design of the stencil.

The Annie
Sloan stencils are an exciting and new addition to the Annie Sloan product
line. Peinture Studios has an exclusive collection
of them at the moment.

I
love how the curvatures of my table are accented with these paint techniques. I even applied the gilding wax to the little
metal claw feet of the table for an extra, but subtle little added shine.

This
is how the table turned out, and I couldn’t be happier! It’s found a great spot next to a comfy cane-backed chair in my living room, and it's now the perfect place to enjoy a little tea or coffee.

Visit
Peinture Studios at SoCo in Costa Mesa for more inspiration, supplies and great
creative workshops. The workshops are so
fun! You get to bring in a piece of
furniture and you leave with a custom painted creation made by you!

May 24, 2015

Bright and cheery, elegant and playful! The color combination of apple green and cobalt blue is one of my favorite looks for this season. Mix and match fabrics, pillows, tableware and
plants in your own unique style, and it’s sure to be a hit! Here are a couple of great examples put
together by Roger’s Gardens here in Newport Beach.

May 19, 2015

Today
I am sharing with you, twenty-two of my favorite outdoor sanctuaries from
pinterest. These “she sheds” are the
female equivalent of a man-cave. A she shed is a
little oasis that one could also call a “zen den”. For more inspiration and for photo sources, check
out my friend Nancy's shed, devoted to the pursuit of female happiness!

This
one, with the coral double doors, is from

last
month’s Better Homes and Gardensmagazine.

This
one below, is Mary McDonald’s pretty outdoor getaway, styled two different
ways.

The last one is my friend and neighbor Nancy’s elegant potting shed that she uses
for creating gorgeous floral arrangements for friends and parties.

As
you enter this gorgeous bayfront home, you are immediately greeted by the sound
of water trickling from this unique fountain.
Named the “Lido Manor”, this home features the interior design work of
Melinda Grubbs. The style is upscale
Cape Cod and boasts gorgeous views of Newport Bay in the living room, dining
room and kitchen. One of the highlights
of this house is the magnificent floating three story stair case. My favorite room is the guest room with the
fun orange zebra-striped window shades, but the whole house is just amazing! Guests
of the Newport Harbor Home and Garden Tour were privileged enough to get a tour
of this house last week. It's also been
featured in Luxe Magazine, and now is one of the exclusive homes that have been
on the home tour. Let me know what you
think!